Registering with a doctors surgery in Berlin

How to find a doctor’s surgery in Berlin

You can refer to the yellow pages (Gelbe Seiten) where doctors can be found by speciality. Alternatively, you can ask a friend and gain references by word of mouth. There are also several websites that list doctors by speciality or location. The following website has an English language search page : www.med-kolleg.de

Office hours

Doctors in Germany will often run office hours (Sprechstunden). These typically run from Monday to Friday between 8 am and 1 pm and later from 3 pm to 6 pm. Doctor’s offices are usually closed on Wednesday afternoons.

Doctors will see their patients on a first-come, first-served basis, even if you have an appointment. You may be able to see a Hausarzt (in the UK, this is a general practitioner), who will often have an ‘open door’ policy. However, it is recommended you still make an appointment.

Making an appointment

When making an appointment, the first person you will speak to is the Arzthelfer or the doctor’s assistant. They may not speak English, but they are unlikely to ask you why you want to visit the doctor. You will be required to specify a time and date, so it is useful to know a bit of German or to have someone on hand to help you book the appointment.